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Three
leading Democratic members of Congress have added their voices to the growing
tide of opposition to the Iran deal.
Senior Democratic leaders Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY), Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY) and Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA) each released strong
statements expressing profound concerns with the outcome of the negotiations,
committing to oppose the deal when it comes to a vote.
“I will vote to
disapprove the agreement, not because I believe war is a viable or desirable
option, nor to challenge the path of diplomacy,” Schumer said. “It is because I
believe Iran will not change, and under this agreement it will be able to
achieve its dual goals of eliminating sanctions while ultimately retaining its
nuclear and non-nuclear power.”
Sen. Schumer also made clear that there
is an alternative path forward—opposing this deal, increasing the pressure, and
returning to the negotiating table.
“Better to keep U.S. sanctions in
place, strengthen them, enforce secondary sanctions on other nations, and pursue
the hard-trodden path of diplomacy once more, difficult as it may be,” he
said.
Click
here to read the full statement from Sen. Chuck Schumer
Rep. Eliot
Engel echoed these same sentiments. “I still believe that a negotiated solution
is the best course of action. That’s the path I believe we should pursue. But
after careful consideration of all of the material; more than a dozen hearings
since the beginning of the negotiating period; and conversations with
administration officials, experts and many of my constituents, I regret that I
cannot support this deal.”
Click
here to read the full statement from Rep. Eliot Engel
Rep. Brad
Sherman said, “This agreement is the good, the bad and the ugly. It contains the
good and the bad in the first year, and gets ugly in the years thereafter … A
strong congressional vote against the agreement is the best way to make it clear
that the agreement is not binding on Congress, the American people or future
administrations.”
Click
here to read the full statement from Rep. Brad Sherman.
These are
just the latest statements from key Democratic members of Congress over the past
few days, joining those of Reps. Steve
Israel (D-NY), Nita
Lowey (D-NY), Ted
Deutch (D-FL), and others
in opposition to the deal.
Please call these members of Congress and
thank them for their leadership at this pivotal moment, by dialing the Capitol
switchboard at (202) 225-3121.
I also want to be sure you’ve seen an
important op-ed in today’s New York Times written by columnist David Brooks,
which gives meaningful context to this moment and warns against lawmakers voting
for a deal “that will increase the chance of more comprehensive war further down
the road.” Please share this piece with family and friends.
I am proud of
our passionate activists across the country who, like you, continue to reach out
to members of Congress and engage them on this critical issue.
With
Congress now in recess, it is incumbent upon each of us to maintain contact with
our elected officials at home and keep them focused on the many shortfalls of
this deal.
Please continue to call
and email
your members of Congress. Reach out to them on Twitter
and Facebook,
and urge them to insist on a better path forward for America.
Thank
you for your inspiring commitment to this historic effort. We will continue to
update you on new developments as they unfold.
Sincerely,
Robert
A. Cohen
AIPAC President
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